A Growing Bedroom for a Growing Child

How fast they grow! In no time, it seems your child goes from
being small enough to hold in one hand, to requiring just
a crib, to requiring a regular bed, and finally to needing
a room of his own. Children grow fast--and you need to be
prepared to help his room grow with him. The idea is to have
a room that the child enjoys playing in, and won't mind sleeping
in...a place where a kid can be a kid.

So
what kind of room should your child have. It depends on
the age of your child. For instance, a one year old child
is a bit mature than a baby, and his room should reflect
this growth. You'll probably want a room that has bright
colors and enough different things and looks to keep the
child interested and engaged. You might want to consider
color choices such as greens, reds, yellows, oranges, and
for boys, bright blues -- for girls, pinks. Try to make
the bed a fun place to be so the child doesn't consider
going to bed a punishment. Put some stuffed animals or an
oversized comforter on it. There are a number of great vintage
bed spreads that will work. Also, avoid themed comforters.
Your child will enjoy it for a while, but as he outgrows
that particular theme, he'll tire of it. Instead, use a
simple bedspread with colorful pillows to accent it.

Younger
children enjoy cute dressers. As they get a bit older, they'll
sense that it's too childish even for them. When they reach
that point, try painting it a different color to match the
room's new color scheme. At the same time, add some other
new furniture to match, and the child will appreciate it.
you can even try re-doing the changing table. Some ideas
would be to make curtains for the shelves; then you can
use them to store toys so that your child can reach them
without having to call for you. Also, if you take off the
foam-changing top, you'll automatically gain extra room
for more toys.

Does
your child need a new place to sit in the room? There are
a number of kid-sized chairs you can buy for this purpose
at Wal-Mart or most stores that sell furniture and / or
child's products. These chairs come in a wide array of bright
colors. You should be able to find something to match the
room. You can also add to the room an overstuffed adult's
chair or even a glider. This will give you a place to sit
with your child while talking to her or reading a book to
her.

Do
your child's walls look a bit blank? Consider hanging some
pictures on the wall. Not just any pictures, but kid-friendly
pictures. You can get some lively, fun pictures out of magazines.
Just cut them out and yes, frame them! You'll be surprised
what a fun improvement this will bring to the room. Or create
your own frame out of colored poster board. There are lots
of options if you'll just use your imagination.

And
finally, take a look at the windows. You can update and
improve the window treatments by using panels of a solid
color, and also a valence in order to bring all the colors
together. You can also choose from an assortment of unique
curtain rods to coordinate with the rest of the room.

A
few changes like this, and your child's room will become
new again. He or she will feel a bit more grown up, but
will still have place to feel at home as they play -- and
rest.